Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698939066768.pdf (Uganda)
THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA PETITION (Rute 30 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of the Republic of Uganda) To: The Parliament of Uganda I(AIVIPALA The HUMBLE PETITION of the undersigned, out-growers in the fruit industry and specifically orange and citrus fruit farmers of Kobwin, Ngora, Kapir, Mukura and Ngora Town CouncilClO Ngora District; presented on their behalf by Hon.

Abala David, Member of Parliament for Ngora County.

SHOWETH AND STATES THAT:- 1.


The subject matter of the petition pertains to the immense set-back in the marketing of fruits grown by fruit farmers in Ngora District.

2.

Your humble petitioners aver that for the last three months, the fruits of their labors on orange farms have literally and metaphorically gone to waste as a result of the unfulfilled promises of government through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

3.
3.

This particularly arises from current government policy to encolrrage farmers in the Teso sub-region to take to Citrus fruit farming on the basis that a fruit processing factory will be built in the sub-region for value addition on their fruits as a means for poverty alleviation and invariably wealth creation.

4.
4.

To-date the fruit factory has not been opened and as such scavenging middle men are exploiting the rural based farmer by offering as low as fifteen thousand Ugandan shillings only for a double bag of fruits weighing over one hundred fifty kilograms thus exposing the farmer to an abominable loss.

5.
5.

Your petitioners further aver that:- (a) Their over reliance on foreign markets such as Kenya, Rwanda and Southern Sudan to which they export their produce is quite detrimental especially in times when there's a snag in those markets.
(b) Ideally in a co-operative society which has one thousand members, who produce an average of thirty bags per farmer at a price of seventy a J thousand Ugandan shillings only, the total income collected by the co- operative society ought to be UGX 2,100,000,000/= as opposed to the unfortunate cu.rrent situation caused by middle men.

6.
6.

Your humble petitioners further aver that the failure by government to support fruit farmers in upstream segments of the fruit industry value chain has culminated into:- (a) Lack of finances for farmers to sustain their livelihoods and most importantly meet their families'needs including medical bills.

(b) Failure to pay school fees for children due to little or no income from fruit farming.
(c) Failure to pay back loans which were obtained by the fruit farmers for purchasing of fertilizers and fungicides.

(d) Increased cases of domestic violence caused by failure of household heads to provide basic needs for their families.

7.

Your humble Petitioners aver that there's need for Government to recruit horticultural specialists to delve into the issue of fruit diseases and pests which have posed aI1 impediment to fruit farming and hence causing immeasurable losses to the farmers.

8.
8.

Your humble petitioners aver that the above mentioned challenges have not only demoralized them economically but also socially and thus have brought forward this petition seeking for your indulgence in their plight.
Now THEREFORE your humble petitioners pray that; a| Parliament enjoins Government through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to compensate the fruit farmers for the losses suffered in the current season; bl Parliament enjoins Government through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to expeditiously address the challenges faced by the farmers; and cl Parliament investigates the challenges of out-growers in the fruit industry as means to streamline the value chain for better growth of the industry.
AND your humble petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray; AND hereto your humble petition.ers have appended their signatures.

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